Method and apparatus for destringing tobacco

ABSTRACT

A rotating winding mandrel having the rotational axis thereof positioned perpendicular to the release path of a cord from a strung tobacco stick and adjacent one end thereof, whereupon as one end of the cord is cut and dropped across the rotating mandrel, the cord is then pulled through the leaves, off the stick and onto the mandrel thus separating the leaves from the stick.

United States Patent 1191 Slate METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DESTRINGING TOBACCO [76] Inventor: Douglas A. Slate, Route 4. Box 320,

Kernersville, NC. 27284 {22] Filed: Jan. 3, 1974 [21] Appl. No: 430,471

[52] U.S. Cl 214/55, 214/152. 242/54 R [51] Int. Cl A24b 1/06 [58] Field of Search 214/55, 152', 294/55;

242/1251- 18 PW, 54 R [5M References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Ill/1954 Joy 214/55 [451 Feb. 11, 1975 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 712.617 7/1954 Great Britain 1. 242/1251 Primary E.\'aminerAlbert .l. Makay Assistant E.\'aminer-George F. Abraham 57 ABSTRACT A rotating winding mandrel having the rotational axis thereof positioned perpendicular to the release path of a cord from a strung tobacco stick and adjacent one end thereof, whereupon as one end of the cord is cut and dropped across the rotating mandrel, the cord is then pulled through the leaves. off the stick and onto the mandrel thus separating the leaves from the stick.

4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DESTRINGING TOBACCO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the last several years it has become conventional in preparing tobacco for the tobacco curing process to attach tobacco leaves to a stick or lath by means of a single string or cord which extends lengthwise of the lath and is tied in a quick release knot at intervals about several hands of tobacco, which are placed alternately on opposite sides of the stick, so that the cord extending therebetween lies across the top of the stick. The cord is not looped spirally around the stick. Upon curing, the lath, cord and leaves must be separated with the leaves being loaded into barrels for shipment to the market, while the sticks are stored for use the following season and the cord is disposed of as waste. Conventionally, the end of the cord which is tied in a knot on itself must be cut, whereupon the free end of the cord is then pulled in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tobacco stick (hereinafter referred to as the release path") to consecutively release the aforesaid release knots until the cord is pulled entirely through the leaves and stick, thus separating the leaves from the stick. The aforementioned cord is approximately fifteen to twenty feet long for a stick approximately fourfive feet long, and this operation takes considerable time. Of course, it is necessary to perform this operation on a significantly large number of sticks to have sufficient tobacco to send to the market. It is estimated that this manual operation requires approximately SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION In summary, the invention utilized a rotatable winding means positioned in the release path ofthe cord and generally perpendicular thereto. The speedof rotation and diameter of the winding means are so related that when the winding means is activated and one end of the cord dropped thereon, the cord will be entrained on the winding means and pulled through the leaf/stick assembly, releasing such knot in succession and removing the cord therefrom wrapping it onto the winding means. The stick may then be removed for storage and the tobacco leaves placed in a shipping container.

If desired, a stationary guard extending along the length of the mandrel and suitably mounted between the mandrel and the tobacco stick will prevent either i the tobacco or the stick from being pulled inadvertently into the rotating mandrel.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for destringing tobacco by mechanically removing the stringing cord from the leaf/stick assembly.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and claims in light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1' is a perspective illustration of the apparatus according to the invention.

Turning now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of the invention, which in general comprises a rotatable winding means W arranged adjacent one edge of a work surface S in the release path of the cord from the leaf/stick assembly tie, with the rotational axis thereof generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tobacco lath when properly positioned on the work surface S). This arrangement permits the winding means to entrain one end-of the cord thereon and apply a continuous pull to the remainder of the string. As a result of the continuous pull exerted by the winding means, the release knot which attaches each hand of leaves to the lath is untied beginning with the hands nearest the winding means W and working consecutively toward the other end of the lath.

The winding means W comprises a support table 10 having a plurality of legs 12 extending downwardly therefrom for supporting the table 10 on a floor in a conventional manner. A motor 14 is secured to the upper surface of the table 10 at one end thereof and includes a horizontally disposed mandrel 16 extending outwardly therefrom toward the other end of the table 10. A bearing or journal 18 receives the free end ofthe mandrel to provide an end support. Mandrel 16, of course, is secured to the rotating portion of the motor 14 so that as the motor 14 is activated, the mandrel 16 turns. Preferably, the mandrel turns clockwise when I viewed from the left end of table 10 in FIG. I, so that the cord is wound across the top surface of the mandrel rather than underneath. The motor 14 is selected of a size and speed with sufficient force to release the knots and remove the cord without breaking the cord. As the cord is wound on the mandrel 16 it accumulates and must be removed periodically, but some cord on the mandrel is desirable to provide 'a surface friction.

It should be understood that although the support table 10 is illustrated as a preferred embodiment for mounting the motor 14, the motor could be mounted onto the end of work surface S or onto a shelf extending outwardly from work surface S, however it is felt that a separate table is more desirable, because it'can be moved around from work surface to work surface more easily.

A guard 20 formed of a plate portion 21, a base portion (not shown) attached to the support table 10 in a suitable manner and a series of upstanding teeth 22 is positioned slightly upstream of the mandrel (toward the lath) between the mandrel 16 and work surface S for reasons to be hereinafter described.

The work surface S is nothing more than a table of sufficient size and shape to receive a tobacco lath L to which a plurality of tobacco hands T are attached by a cord 24 in a conventional manner as hereinabove described.

In operation, first of all, one end of a cord is knotted. Then one hand of leaves is gathered and the cord is wrapped therearound and tied in a conventional, wellknown, quick-releaseable knot, so that a pull on the cord will untie the knot and release the leaves. The knotted hand of leaves is then draped over one side of the lath L and another hand of leaves is tied in a similar manner, whereupon this hand is draped across the opposite side of the tobacco lath with a length of cord 24 extending therebetween across the top of the lath. This procedure continues alternately until the entire tobacco stick is filled, whereupon the cord is knotted and the filled lath hung in the barn for curing. The aforedescribed process is carried on mechanically in a wellknown manner, and forms no part of the present invention.

After the tobacco is cured and it is desired'to destring or separate the leaves from the laths,the laths with the tobacco thereon are laid on work surface S one at a time with the end of the laths having the knotted end of cord lying nearer the winding means W and the longitudinal axis of the lath L being positioned generally perpendicular to the rotational axis of the mandrel 16. The knot is then cut and the cord is pulled by hand along the release path, which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lath, to a length long enough to drape across the mandrel. The frictional drag on the cord will entrain the cord on the mandrel and as the mandrel rotates, the release knots are consecutively released and the cord wound onto the mandrel.

Guard prevents either the stick or any tobacco leaves from being inadvertently pulled with the cord into the mandrel, which would damage the tobacco, or possible the mandrel.

It should be recognized that various modifications could be made to the preferred embodiment of the invention described and illustrated hereinabove without departing from the spirit of the invention and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for destringing tobacco laths of a type wherein tobacco leaves are gathered in several hands and attached together by means of a continuous cord, each hand being wrapped by a section of said cord, tied in a release knot with adjacent hands draped on opposite sides of said lath, and connected by a length of said cord draped across said lath, and whereby said release knot may be released when a force is exerted on said cord along a prescribed release path, the apparatus comprising a rotatable winding means positioned in said release path with the axis of rotation of said winding means lying generally perpendicular to said release path, and whereby the speed of rotation and surface friction of said winding means cooperate to entrain said cord on said winding means, exert said force along said prescribed path, and accumulate said cordas it is removed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said winding means comprises a motor and a shaft extending outwardly therefrom, whereby when said motor is activated said shaft rotates, said shaft intersecting and lying generally perpendicular to said release path.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a guard plate is positioned in said release path adjacent to said shaft and upstream thereof, whereby said guard prevents tobacco from inadvertently being drawn into said shaft during the rotation thereof.

4. A method for destringing tobacco laths of a type wherein tobacco leaves are gathered in several hands and attached together by means of a continuous cord, each hand being wrapped by a section of said cord tied in a release knot with adjacent hands draped on opposite sides of said lath and connected by a length of said cord draped across said lath, and a knot in the cord at the end of the hands, and whereby said release knots may be released when a force is exerted on said cord along a prescribed release path, the method comprising the steps of:

A. positioning the tobacco lath and leaves on a work surface with the tobacco lath extending along said prescribed release path;

B. cutting the knot at one end of the several hands;

C. manually exerting a force along said prescribed path to release a sufficient number of release knots to provide a length of cord; and

D. dropping the length of cord onto a rotating shaft which releases the remainder of the release knots and pulls the cord completely from the lath. 

1. Apparatus for destringing tobacco laths of a type wherein tobacco leaves are gathered in several hands and attached together by means of a continuous cord, each hand being wrapped by a section of said cord, tied in a release knot with adjacent hands draped on opposite sides of said lath, and connected by a length of said cord draped across said lath, and whereby said release knot may be released when a force is exerted on said cord along a prescribed release path, the apparatus comprising a rotatable winding means positioned in said release path with the axis of rotation of said winding means lying generally perpendicular to said release path, and whereby the speed of rotation and surface friction of said winding means cooperate to entrain said cord on said winding means, exert said force along said prescribed path, and accumulate said cord as it is removed.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said winding means comprises a motor and a shaft extending outwardly therefrom, whereby when said motor is activated said shaft rotates, said shaft intersecting and lying generally perpendicular to said release path.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a guard plate is positioned in said release path adjacent to said shaft and upstream thereof, whereby said guard prevents tobacco from inadvertently being drawn into said shaft during the rotation thereof.
 4. A method for destringing tobacco laths of a type wherein tobacco leaves are gathered in several hands and attached together by means of a continuous cord, each hand being wrapped by a section of said cord tied in a release knot with adjacent hands draped on opposite sides of said lath and connected by a length of said cord draped across said lath, and a knot in the cord at the end of the hands, and whereby said release knots may be released when a force is exerted on said cord along a prescribed release path, the method comprising the steps of: A. positioning the tobacco lath and leaves on a work surface with the tobacco lath extending along said prescribed release path; B. cutting the knot at one end of the several hands; C. manually exerting a force along said prescribed path to release a sufficient number of release knots to provide a length of cord; and D. dropping the length of cord onto a rotating shaft which releases the remainder of the release knots and pulls the cord completely from the lath. 